The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-05-05

i'm the water.
The light craft rapidly drew near
the monster. Meanwhile the other
boats. fast approaching, now We're not
a mile off.
Soon within ten fathoms Of the
whale. Captain Hnsse, sent his long
lance qnivering into is body, when.
with sort Of gnrgling roar. the old
bull. opening wide its huge jaws.
threateningls displayed the white scroll
of his teeth. awhile hi flukes pounded the
sea with thunderous strokes.
Again HuSsey hurled lance into
the body Of the coveted prize, and then
it was that. full Of vengefpl ire. the
monster. whirling round, came sraight
for the boat. with yawning jaws, his
broad ilukes churning and beating a
white path Of foam in his wake. while
the spray. dyed with his blood, flew in
crimson drifts about him.
..Stcrn. Stern ordered HusSey: and
while he spoke he sent another lance
into the huge body.
Nov Johns time has comet
thought Rocket. clinching his teeth
1.-The whale will bite the captain in
two, or knock him dead with his flukes.
if SO can manage it. Don't care if |
do have the boat steven; other boats
not far of. They will come and pick
the rest of US up.
The men backed water. but so rapid
was the approach Of the whale. and 20
cunningly did John. with his steering
oar, retard the motion of the craft. that
the bull gained fast, coming straight
forward in spite of the captains lance,
which was plunged again and again
into his might, form.
Now mnttered John. as all at
once the whale gave forward rush.
He worked his steering-oar SO that
the boats backing was suddenly nearly
checked. when with tremendous force.
the bristling jaw struck the bow. crush
ing it like an egg-shell.
Jump for Your lives shouted
Hus,ey, just escaping the jaw by throw
ing himself over. sideways. into the sea.
The next moment all the men were
in the water: AT the same time. diving
edreways under the boat, the whale,
whirling his enormous flukes upward.
sent the light cedar planks flying in
many splinters.
The crew now endeayored to strike
out from the vicinity Of their powerful
foe. who was still beating the sea with
his hukes. as if feeling for his enemies,
while the line. fast to the irons in his
body, flew wildly about the heads of the
swimmers.
With fierce disappointment, Rocket,
the Indian harpooner. who had thought
to insure the captains destruction, now
saw the latter buffeting the waves a few
feet from him.
Suddenly there was a hoarse cry from
Hussey. rs blight Of the line caught
tightly about his breast. under the
arms,
"Qmck. Rocket. cut the line, or an
gone!' he cried. The whale will &C
down in few seconds, and drag me
UNDER"
The eyes of the young Indian flashed
exultingly. He swan on, needless. o.
the captain cries. After all he woule
have his revenge. The skipper having
lost his own knife. which had droppe,
out OF his pocket when he fell. seemed
doomed to be soon dragged by tn,
whale into the dark depths Of the ocean
All at once Rocket turned and strucl
of in another direction. for the leviathal
had swung round, with his flukes beat
ing the sea. close to him. The mex
moment the Indian saw those mon
strous flukes raised above his head. IL,
quickly dove. but while his back wa
Yet out Of water. the huge appendage
came down upon it. crushing the lif'
out Of him in an instant.
Meanwhile Husscy was still vainl,
struggling to free himself from the lin,
which held him firmly in its tight coil
The whale. a few yards from him, wa
vet beating the sea with his tiukes. bu
it seemed evident that he would sool
90 down, dragging the unfortunate
man to his fate.
.Good-by. wife and children, good
by" he cried, sadly. Il shall neve
see You again.
But just then 1.-THE, dark form
came swimming near those flynn,
fukes. and narrowly escaping thei
blows, gained the captains side.
1t was the young Kanaka. Loko
who, the moment he had detected til
shippers situation, had used every effor
| to reach and save him. From hi
teeth. in which he held it, he now pull
ed his sheath-knifc, and with two quic
blows cut the line loose from the in
perilled man.
i Nor was this done moment 10
soon: for scarce was the line severe
when. with one farewell upward film
of his tlukes. the whale dove down t
ward the fathomless depths.
The three mates boats which dul
ing this time had been steadily AZ
preaching. where now not man
fathoms off. and the kanaka--as are a
the people Of his race-being lat home
| i'm the water, assisted his nearly Z,
hausted companion to keep afioat unit
the larboard boat arrived and pickle
them up, together with the rest of til
crew.
Before night, the whale having con-
up, much weakened by his man
wounds, was attacked by the tire
boats and killed. He yielded MOI
than oil enough to complete the carg
of the Coral. which, when it was a
slowed, was put under full sail. hom'
ward bound, bearing the Nantuck'
men. with merry hearts, toward the
native shores. and leaving far benin
her the broken, mangled form OF job
Rocket. the willy plettcr, who in plal
ming the captains death, had but con
passed his own destruction.